On the morning of September 24, 2026, a massive attack by unmanned aerial vehicles was recorded in western Ukraine, causing systemic disruptions in the operation of rail transport. According to data from the online boards of Ukrzaliznytsia, cited by RBC-Ukraine, delays in trains heading west reached several hours, while the air alert in the border regions has been in effect continuously for over six hours. The Air Force of Ukraine is warning about the movement of enemy drones and new launches of aerial targets from Russian territory.

Massive Attack and Its Impact on Rail Traffic

The western part of the country, where the most significant delays have been recorded, has been under drone attack since the night before. According to Air Force data, the air alert in the region has not been lifted for more than six consecutive hours, and air defense operators are detecting new salvos and the movement of aerial targets. These circumstances, as a matter of established practice, become the reason for the suspension or slowing of train traffic: rail infrastructure — bridges, overpasses, stations — under conditions of an active aerial threat requires mandatory inspection before trains are allowed to pass. Ukrzaliznytsia did not directly comment on the cause of the delays at the time of publication, however, in Ukraine such disruptions are traditionally linked to the security situation.

Which Trains Are Delayed the Most

According to data from the online service uz-vezemo.uz.gov.ua, the largest delay — over six hours — is affecting the train on the route "Dnipro-Vokzhalnyy — Uzhhorod." A similar situation has developed with the international service "Zaporizhzhia — Przemysl," heading to Poland. Delays of over five hours have been recorded for the trains "Dnipro — Truskavets," "Dnipro — Lviv," "Chernivtsi — Kryvyi Rih," and "Rakhiv — Kryvyi Rih." Thus, both domestic routes connecting the industrial east with the resort west and international traffic with the EU have been affected.

Contradictory Data

The delay figures cited by various publications differ significantly. RBC-Ukraine, relying on a morning screenshot of the board, records a maximum delay of six hours. Meanwhile, other Ukrainian media outlets, publishing data as the situation develops throughout the day, report much more extensive disruptions: UNIAN cites delays of "over 17 hours," UNIAN-News — "up to 14 hours," and TSN — "12 hours of waiting" for dozens of trains. The discrepancy in figures is likely explained by dynamics: the morning six hours could have multiplied by evening as stopped trains accumulated on the sections and repeated waves of attacks occurred. Nevertheless, at the time of the morning publication of the initial data, the disruption was indeed six hours, and the larger figures reflect the subsequent development of events on the same day.

Ground Incidents: Strike on Khmelnytskyi and Incursions into Moldova

In addition to transport disruptions, the September 24 attack caused damage in residential areas. In the morning, an enemy UAV hit a multi-story building in Khmelnytskyi: windows were shattered and balconies destroyed, but, according to data at the time of publication, no residents were injured. A separate incident was recorded in Vinnytsia Oblast: during the massive attack, drones crossed the state border several times and entered the airspace of Moldova. The authorities of the neighboring country were forced to temporarily close the sky for civilian flights, which further complicated the logistical picture in the region.

What Is Known About the Timing of Traffic Restoration

At the time of the morning publication, Ukrzaliznytsia did not provide a forecast for the restoration of the normal schedule. As a rule, under conditions of a continuing air alert, trains resume movement only after the alert is lifted and the infrastructure on each section has been inspected. Given that the alert lasted more than six hours and, according to Air Force data, new launches continued, passengers are advised to track the status of their service in real time via the uz-vezemo.uz.gov.ua service and not to arrive at the station until the departure of the train has been confirmed.